Method of making holder for flat objects such as computer disks

ABSTRACT

Holders for flat objects such as computer disks which can provide pages of a book which carries such objects, instruction for their use and etc. Each page is made of a single sheet of foldable material, preferably spunbonded olefin (such material being available from DuPont under their tradename &#34;Tyvek&#34;). The sheets are cut into the shape of rectangular center panels with bottom and side flaps extended therefrom; the side flaps extending from opposite side edges of the center panel and being off-set from each other. Since a single sheet is used it may be printed with visible indicia (e.g., the name of the manufacturer of and the computer program on the disks), prior to cutting, by conventional printing techniques in one pass through the press. The cut sheets (blanks) can then be manipulated in envelope manufacturing equipment which scores, applies adhesive lines and folds the flaps to provide a plurality of partially overlapping pockets, disposed one above the other.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 167,065 filed 3/11/88, nowU.S. Pat. No. 4,852,740, issued 8/1/89.

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to multi-pocket holders for flat objectssuch as computer disks and the like, and also to methods for making suchholders from a single sheet of foldable material.

The invention is especially suitable for use in providing multi-pocketpages which can be assembled in ring binders. The pages are especiallyadapted to hold and protect computer disks (also known as diskettes orfloppy disks). Books of multi-pocket pages, with diskettes, are usedprincipally to package computer programs and their instructions for saleto computer users.

The principal type of multi-pocket page on the market is made fromseparate sheets, usually of plastic. There is a backing sheet andseveral patches which are located on the backing sheet in a stair-caselike stack and heat welded to provide the page.

It has been found that paper and particularly spunbonded olefin material(sold under the tradename "Tyvek") by the DuPont Company can be madeinto sleeves for holding individual computer disks. The olefin materialcan be made static free and is especially sturdy. However, themanufacture of multi-pocket pages from such material (which may have theadded advantage of eliminating the need for the protective sleeves), atsufficiently low-cost to be competitive with multi-pocket pages madefrom heat-welded sheets and patches, is difficult. Patching operationshave not been found to be cost effective because of the time requiredfor adhesives adapted to be used with olefin materials to become tacky.Moreover, separate printing operations are required on the patches andsheets. The printed materials may have to be registered in the course ofassembly of the page and held in position during bonding or settingwhich adds to the cost of manufacture of a multi-pocket page.

Another problem in the manufacture of the multi-pocket page from thinpaper or paper like materials is in the provision for strength orreinforcement of the border of the page which is perforated to receivethe rings of the ring binder.

It is also desirable to avoid the need for special machinery andfixtures for the production of multi-pocket pages from paper orpaperlike material, including spunbonded olefin materials, since thecost of such equipment is a cost factor which can render the productnon-competitive.

Accordingly it is the principal object of this invention to provide animproved multi-pocket holder for flat objects, such as computer disks,which can be fabricated at low cost so as to be competitive with othertypes of multi-pocket holders.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improvedmulti-pocket page, and method of making same out of a single piecematerial, which can be folded and glued without the need for patches andwhich may be printed without separate printing operations on separateparts (e.g., separate patches) thereof.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improvedmulti-pocket page through the use of spunbonded olefin, with adhesiveswhich require time to set-up and become tacky, thus avoiding complicatedand time consuming processes in the fabrication of such multi-pocketpages with patches of such olefin material.

Briefly described, a holder or multi-pocket page for flat objects, suchas computer disks in accordance with the invention makes use of thesingle sheet of material, which may be a sheet of spunbonded olefin. Thesheet is cut to provide a rectangular center panel with side, top andbottom edges, a first flap extending from one of the side edges, and asecond flap extending from the bottom edge of the center panel. Thefirst flap is secured at the center panel, as by lines of adhesive todefine a first pocket open at the top thereof, with the center panel.The second flap is secured in partially overlapping relationship withthe first flap at the center panel to define the second pocket below thefirst pocket, which partially overlaps the first pocket. In other words,the pockets are arranged in tiers or shingle-like relationship. Printingmay be accomplished on the sheet prior to cutting thereof into the shapeof a center panel with side and bottom flaps. A flange may be locatedabove and even below the side flap, which folds over the center panel tostrengthen a border. This border may be perforated with holes whichreceive the rings of a ringbinder which carries the multi-pocket page orholder. The page may be made with three pockets utilizing a side flapextending from the opposite side of the center panel and displacedupwardly from the other side flap. The other side flap is then securedin overlapping relationship with the first side flap. The adhesive maybe applied immediately prior to folding, to secure the flaps and panelto each other.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention, as wellas preferred embodiments and the best mode known for practicing theinvention, will become more apparent from a reading of the followingdescription in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a multi-pocket page or holder in accordancewith the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view of the sheet layout from which the multi-pocket pageshow in FIG. 1 is made;

FIG. 3 thru FIG. 12 are diagrams which show steps in the method ofmaking the multi-pocket shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 13 is a front view of a two pocket multi-pocket page embodying theinvention.

Referring more particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a threepocket multi-pocket page 10 for holding computer disks and other flatobjects. The page 10 is made from a single sheet of foldable material,preferably spunbonded olefin. The sheet 12 is cut into the shape shownin FIG. 2. There is a center panel 14, a bottom flap 16, an upper rightside flap 18 and a lower or left side flap 20. The center panel has topand bottom edges 22 and 24. It also has left and right side edges 26 and28. The lines along the bottom edge 24 and the side edges 26 and 28,from which the flaps 16, 18 and 20 extend, are fold lines, suitablyformed by scoring as will be explained in greater detail hereinafter inconnection with FIG. 7.

The left side of flap 20 has, extending upwardly therefrom to the topedge 22, a flange 30. This flange can extend below the bottom edge ofthe left side flap 20 and is terminated with a gusset 32. The flange issufficiently wide to form a border containing perforation holes 34 forreceiving the rings of a ring binder in which the page may be mounted asone page of several of such pages in the ring binder.

The flaps 16, 18 and 20 are generally rectangular in shape. They arerounded at their free corners to facilitate handling in fabrication. Thebottom flap 16 extends the full width of the center panel 14, as doesthe left side flap 20. The right side flap 18 may be somewhat less widesince it is overlapped by flange 30. The right and left side flaps 18and 20 may be slightly shorter (the in the direction along the sideedges 26 and 28) than the bottom flap 16. All of the flaps aresufficiently wide so that they overlap.

The right side flap 18 is folded over the center panel 14 after lines ofadhesive have been applied spaced inwardly slightly from the free edge36 thereof. A line of adhesive may be applied spaced inwardly from thebottom edge 38. These lines of adhesive can be located on the flap 18 oron the center panel 14. When overlapped and secured by the adhesive, afirst pocket 40 is defined by the right side flap 18 and the centerpanel.

The left side flap 20 is then folded over after adhesive is appliedspaced along the flange 30 the right side or free edge 42 and the bottom44 of the left side flap 20. The left side flap 18 overlaps partiallythe right side flap 18 and the center panel 14. When secured with theadhesive the left side flap 20, the center panel 14 and the right sideflap 18 define a second pocket 46.

The bottom flap 16 then has adhesive applied thereto in lines along theside edges 26 and 28, either in the center panel above the bottom edge24 or in the bottom flap 16 below the bottom edge 24. The bottom flaps16 is then folded over about the bottom edge 24 and is secured inoverlapping relationship with the left side flap 20 and the center panelto define a third pocket 48. The pockets 40, 46 and 48 are in tiered,shingle-like relationship; there being three tiers, each with a separatepocket;

The method by which the multi-pocket page shown in FIG. 1 may befabricated in accordance with the invention will become more apparentfrom FIGS. 3 through 12. The bonded olefin, as purchased under thetradename "Tyvek" from DuPont, comes in rolls. The rolls are sheeted tocreate a stack of sheets. Each sheet is trimmed on all four sides sothat the sheets are perfectly rectangular as shown in FIG. 3.

Each sheet is then printed. A lithographic printing press maybe used andthe printing may be completed in one pass (or plural passes for colorprinting). There may be four (4) impressions on each sheet as showndiagramatically in FIG. 4. Four blanks are cut. An envelope high die mayused so that a stack of sheets is provided on each cut as shown in FIG.5.

The sheets are then folded and glued to make the three pocket page 10.First, the stack shown in FIG. 5 is placed into the feed of a envelopefolder with the outside of the page facing up. The individual blanks arefed from the bottom of the stack and placed on top of one anothershingle style. The stack so displaced is conveyed along the folder. Theblanks are pulled out of the shingle stack and refed into a set ofchains having sets of pins attached to the chains as shown in FIG. 6.These chains and pins position the blank under a scoring cylinder wherethe fold lines, shown as dash lines in FIG. 7, are scored by the scoringcylinder.

Then adhesive to form the two top pockets 40 and 46 is printed, as byusing a roller with raised areas to print lines inwardly of the edges ofthe center panel and flaps as shown at 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, and 62.Continuous lines are not needed, as shown at 56 and 62 in FIG. 8.

The top pocket 40 is then formed by folding the right side flap over thecenter panel as shown in FIG. 9. The middle pocket 46 is then formed byfolding the left side flap over the center panel. Also the flange isfolded to provide the edge support with increased strength for holdingthe page in the binder. The latter step is shown in FIG. 10. Thepartially completed page is then conveyed to a side seam adhesivesection where to lines 64 and 66 of adhesive are printed partially overthe bottom flap and center panel of the page (FIG. 11). The bottom flapis trapped in the envelope folder and folded over the left side flap andthe center panel to form the bottom pocket 48 as shown in FIG. 12.

The pages are then delivered onto a table standing up for ease ofpacking. A three hole punch machine may be used to make the holes 34necessary for using the page in a ring binder. If the pages are boundinto books this perforation operation is not used.

FIG. 13 shows a multi-pocket page 70 having two pockets 72 and 74. Thispage is formed of a single sheet of material, preferably Tyvek,material, and is cut into the shape of center panel 76, a left side flap78 and a bottom flap 80. A flange 82 and gusset 84 may extend from theside flap 78 for strengthening the edge of the page.

A right side flange 86 is used to overlap the bottom and left side flaps80 and 78 for strengthening the right side edge or border of the page.The width of the flaps 78 and 80 may be slightly less than the width ofthe center panel 76, since it is overlapped by the flange 86.

The lines of adhesive are applied. Then the side flap 78 and flange 72are folded over to define the upper pocket 72. The bottom flap is thenfolded over the bottom edge of the center panel after adhesive lines areapplied, to define the lower pocket 74. Finally the right side flangewith adhesive line applied is folded over the right side edge of thecenter panel and secured over the flaps 78 and 80 to complete the page.Operations similar to those described in connection with FIGS. 3 through12 may be used to fabricate the page 70 from a single sheet of foldablematerial.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that there has beenprovided an improved holder for flat objects such as computer disks andthe like and may be used as a multi-pocket page in a ring binder. Whenthe multi-pocket page is made from Tyvek material the computer disks maybe held safely without the need for separate sleeves. Because envelopemaking equipment and a single printing operation is used, the cost ofthe multi-pocket page is competitive with other multi-pocket pages whichhave been offered commercially in the past. While plurality ofembodiments have been described as well as the preferred method ofmaking a multi-pocket page, variations and modifications thereof withinthe scope of the invention will undoubtedly suggest themselves skilledin the art. Accordingly the foregoing description should be taken asillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:
 1. The method of making a holder having a pluralityof pockets for flat objects from a single sheet of foldable material,which comprises the steps of cutting said material into blanks having arectangular center panel with a top edge, a bottom edge, and first andsecond side edges and with a bottom flap extending from said bottom edgeof said center panel and a second flap extending from the first sideedge of said center panel, said second flap having a free side edge anda free top edge and a bottom edge, said bottom edge of said second flapbeing above the bottom edge of said center panel; applying lines ofadhesive along the side edges of said center panel above said bottomedge of said center panel or on the side edges of said bottom flap belowthe bottom edge of said center panel, and to said second flap atlocations along the free side edge and the bottom edge thereof or onsaid center panel at locations corresponding to said locations alongsaid free side edge and bottom edge of said second flap when said secondflap and center panel are in overlapping relationship when folded aboutsaid first side edge of said center panel; first folding said secondflap over said center panel about said first side edge of said centerpanel and securing said second flap to said center panel with saidadhesive to define an upper pocket; and then folding said bottom flapabout said bottom edge of said center panel and securing said bottomflap to said center panel and to said second flap to define a secondpocket below and in tiered relationship with said upper pocket.
 2. Themethod according to claim 1 wherein said cutting step is carried out tofurther form a third flap extending from the second side edge of saidcenter panel, said third flap having a free side edge and top and bottomedges, said top edge of said third flap being above the top edge of saidsecond flap and said bottom edge of said third flap being above thebottom edge of said second flap; applying lines of adhesive at locationsalong the free side edge and the bottom edge of said third flap or atlocations on said center panel corresponding to the free side edge andthe bottom edge of said third flap when said third flap is folded oversaid center panel about said second side edge of said center panel,before folding said second flap; folding said third flap about saidsecond side edge of said center panel to secure it onto said centerpanel with said adhesive and form a third pocket above the pocket formedby said second flap; and then carrying out the steps of folding saidsecond flap and said bottom flap.
 3. The method according to claim 1further comprising the step, which is carried out prior to said cuttingstep of printing visible indicia on one side of said sheet.
 4. Themethod according to claim 1 further comprising the step, which iscarried out prior to said folding step, of scoring said sheet along saidbottom edge and said first side edge of said center panel from whichsaid flaps extend, to form fold lines.